June 2026 | Volume 14 | Issue 2
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‘Wild, wild west’
Five-peat
Vestavia Hills boys tennis claimed their fifth straight Class 7A state title, finishing six points clear of the field.
See page 16
Chiseling Legacy
City ready to enforce laws for micromobility devices By JON ANDERSON
I For sculptor Craigger Browne, every masterpiece begins not with addition but with removal.
See page 24
INSIDE Sponsors............. 4 City....................... 6 Business.............10 Schoolhouse...... 14
Sports................. 16 Events................20 Life..................... 24
t’s not hard to notice the rise in popularity of micromobility devices in Vestavia Hills. Almost everywhere you look, people — and especially children and teens — are zipping around town on scooters, e-scooters, e-bikes, skateboards and golf carts. But it’s becoming a problem because many times, they’re not following traffic laws and using required or recommended safety gear, police and city officials say. They’re endangering themselves and the safety of others, and authorities warn it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed. The problem has gotten the attention of the Vestavia Hills Police Department and Vestavia Hills City Council, who are ready to start stricter enforcement of traffic and safety laws. It’s a problem across the city but seems to be especially prevalent in Liberty Park, Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley said. “It’s the wild, wild west leaving the school.”
Micromobility devices, including scooters, e-bikes and golf carts, have become an increasingly common sight on Vestavia Hills streets and sidewalks, prompting the city to shift from education into enforcement. The Vestavia Hills Police Department is establishing a special overtime detail to crack down on violations in city parks and other high-traffic areas. Above and left: Students leave Liberty Park Middle School. Below: Micromobility devices parked outside the school. Photos by David Leong.
See MICROMOBILITY | page 26
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City, school officials eye $18 million addition at Vestavia Hills High School
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By JON ANDERSON
Students perform in the Vestavia Hills High School auditorium, a 1,000-seat venue that school officials have proposed renovating. Photo courtesy of Noah Oswald.
The Vestavia Hills City Council and city school officials are discussing a potential $18 million project to add new arts and athletics space at Vestavia Hills High School. The proposal that has been floated by Vestavia Hills schools Superintendent Todd Freeman includes building a new band room
in the front of the school and renovating the existing 1,000-seat auditorium and other spaces to get all the fine and performing arts spaces together in the front part of the campus and expand them to accommodate growth in the programs that has occurred over the years.
See PROJECT | page 27
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